Steam-engine.



PATENTED FEB. 10,1903.

D. P. LEPLEY..

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 25, 1901.

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l lll I 5/ 6 7/6 gggzjlor No. 720,263. PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

. D. F. LEPLEY.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 19014 @iforgzys 7 PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903. D. F. LEPLEY. STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1901.

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UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. LEPLEY, OF OONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 720,263, dated February 10, 1903. Application filed July 25, 1901. Serial No. 69,709. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. LEPLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in steam-engines, and while particularly adapted to both pumping-engines, may be employed in connection with reciprocating engines of any class.

The objects of my invention are to provide a valve mechanism in which the steam-valve will receive a quick and positive movement without regard to the speed of travel of the piston and by which the supply of steam may be more readily proportioned to the work.

A further object of the invention isto provide means for the adjustment of the stroke of the piston, so that the latter may be made to travel nearer one end of the cylinder than the other, and to provide also for the adjustment of the stroke of the governing-valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the propercushioning of the steampiston, its gradual retardation at the ending I of a stroke, and its gradual acceleration of speed at the beginning of the stroke.

Still further objects of the invention are to improve, simplify, and cheap'en the construction of the valves and theiroperating devices and to render more certain and positive the action of the engine under various conditions of speed and load, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the various figures, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a steam-engine constructed and arranged in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the device onthe line b b of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 0 c of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the auxiliary governing-valve and its steamchest on the line d dot Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the cylinder of a steam pumping or other engine; 2, a piston therein; 3, the piston-rod, and 4 the usual stuffing-box. Above the cylinder is mounted a casting 5, containing two steamchests or valve-chambers 6 7, in which are valves 8 9, respectively, the valve 8 governing the admission of steam to and its escape from the cylinder 1, and the valve 9 governing the movements of the valve 8.

The steam-chest 6 is cylindrical in form, closed at each end, and is provided with a number of annular steam-ports 10 11 12 13 14. The ports 10 11 communicate by passages 16 17 with the steam-chest 7 and are in line with the ports 18, leading from the main-steamsupply port 19, so that the steam-chest 7 is at all times in communication with the main steam-supply. The ports 12 13 are in communication with and lead to the cylinderports 20 21, and the port 14 leads to the main exhaust 22.

The main steam-valve 8 is in the form of a hollow cylindrical body of such diameter as to fit snugly within the cylindrical valvechest. The ends of the valve are closed and at its center is a diaphragm 23, dividing the interior of the valve into two chambers,

which serve as passages for the steam in its travel to and from the main cylinder.

In the walls of the valve 8 are a number of annular ports 24, 25, 26, and 27, two of which lead into each of the chambers of the valve, these ports by their alinement with the annular ports of the steam chest governing the flow of steam to and from the cylinder.

The auxiliary valve 9 is cylindrical in form and is provided with a valve-stem 28, passing through a stutfing-box 29, and at its outer end is mechanically connected to the piston- ,rod 3, as more fully described hereinafter.

The valve 9 is slotted or cut away on each side, so as to permit free communication with both ends of the steam chest 7, and the steam-supply ports 16 17, leading into the steam-chest, open opposite one of these valvepassages, so that the steam-chest is always in communication with the main steam-supply. The under side of this valve is cut away to form a double D-valve, which governs the passage of steam through ports 30 31 32, the ports 30 31 leading to the ends of the valvechamber 6 and the port 32 communicating with the main exhaust-port 22.

Secured to or formed integral with the crosshead guides or frame 33 is a bracket 34, on the -upper portion of which is journaled a rock-shaft 35, having at one end an enlarged head or collar 36. The head or collar 36 and the shaft 35 are provided with a diametrical slot 37, through which passes a rocker-bar 39. The upper end of the rocker-baris connected by a link 41 to a collar 42, fitting over the threaded end of the stem 28 of the governing-valve, the collar being held in position on the valve-stem and adjusted thereon by nuts 43, adapted to the threaded end of the stem, and having journaled ends 44, fitting into circular grooves or recesses in the ends of the sleeve to prevent injury to the screw-threads. The lower end of the rockerbar 39 is connected by a link 45 to a crosshead 46, secured to the piston-rod 3, from which the parts are actuated.

Projecting from the end of the shaft 35 is a bracket 47, against which bears the end of an adjusting-screw 48, carried by the projecting end of the pivot-pin 49, which connects the upper end of the rocker-bar to the link 41, the turning of the bolt 48 effecting the vertical adjustment of the rocker-bar 39 in altering its fulcrum to any desired extent. The rockerbar is locked in any position in which it may be adjusted by the set-screw 50, carried by the sleeve 36.

The raising or lowering of the rocker-bar 39 will eflect a shortening or lengthening of the piston-stroke by reason of the faster or slower movement given to the governor-valve, and the stroke of the piston may be equalized, or the piston may be made to travel nearer to one end or the other of the cylinder, by eli ecting the longitudinal adjustment of the sleeve 42 by the adjusting-nuts 43.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the piston just starting on its return stroke, steam entering through the ports 19 and 18 will pass by ports 11, 26, 27, and 21 to the forward end of the cylinder and move the piston in the direction of the arrow. As the piston completes this movement the auxiliary governing-valve 9 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the opposite end of its steam-chest, permitting the entrance of steam through the port 31 from the steamchest 7 to the steam-chest 6 and opening communication between the ports 30 and 32 to the main exhaust. The result of this movement will be to force the main steam-valve from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the opposite end of the cylinder, a sufficient quantity of steam remaining at the end of the cylinder to cushion the valve and this cushioning elfect being rendered more eflfective by reason of the contracted port-opening through which the steam must escape from the steamchest 6. When the main steam-valve has been moved, the opposite ports of the valvechest and valve are brought into alinement and the movement of the piston is reversed. It will thus be seen that the movement of the main steam-valve is independent of the speed of travel of the main piston, receiving a quick and positive movementno matter what the speed of travel of the piston may be.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the cylinder-ports 20 21 at points where they open into the cylinder are widened longitudinally and contracted in a transverse direction, the longitudinal walls tapering or inclining toward each other as they approach the ends of the cylinder. This change in shape of the ports is effected without altering the cross-sectional area of either port at any point, so that the flow of steam is not impeded. The effect of thischange in shape is to gradually retard the travel of the piston at the end of each stroke, the piston acting to gradually close the port and reducing as it travels the area of the port-opening and the quantity of steam escaping to the main exhaust.

Although in this case steam has been described as the actuating medium, it will be understood that the engine may be operated by air or any other fluid under pressure and that the construction as described may be employed in connection with engines of any class or character by suitable modifications or rearrangement of the parts or their proportions to meet any particular conditions without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination in a steam-engine, of a cylinder, a main steam-chest, steam-ports leading from a source of supply to said steamchest and from the steam-chest to the cylinder, an exhaust-port also leading from said steam-chest, a ported piston-valve in said steam-chest, an auxiliary valve-chest having a steam-supply, an auxiliary mechanicallyoperated valve in said auxiliary steam-chest, steam-ports leading from the auxiliary steamchest to the ends of the main steam-chest, and an exhaust-port leading from said auxiliary steam-chest, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a cylinder, of a main and an auxiliary steam-chest, a steamactuated valve situated within the main steam-chest and governing the admission of steam to and from the cylinder, and a mechanically-operated valve in the auxiliary steam-chest forgoverning the supply of steam for the operation of the main valve, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a cylinder, of a main steam-chest having a series of annular ports, a chambered piston-valve having side ports adapted to be moved into alinement with the annular ports, an auxiliary steamchest, ports or passages extending from the annular ports to the ends of the main cylinder and to the exhaust, a mechanically-operated valve in the auxiliary steam-chest, and ports or passages leading from the auxiliary steam-chest to the opposite ends of the main steam-chest for governing the movement of the main valve, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a steam-engine, of a cylinder, a main steam-chest, steam-ports leading from a source of supply to said steamchest and from the steam-chest to the cylinder, a steam-actuated valve situated within the main steam-chest and governing the ad mission of steam to and from the cylinder, an auxiliary steam-chest, a valve situated therein and governing the movement of the steamactuated Valve, means for connecting the valve of the auxiliary chest to a movable portion of the engine, said valve being slotted or recessed from end to end to permit access of the steam to the opposite ends of said aux-- iliary steam-chest, and ports or passages extending between the auxiliary and the main steam-chests and governed by said longitudinally-movable valve.

5. In a device of the class described, a steam-actuated piston-valve having tightlyclosed ends and a central partition or diaphragm dividing its interior into two separate chambers, there being two or more annular ports leading through the Walls of the valve into each of said chambers, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the cylinder, its piston and piston-rod, a steam-chest, a valve therein, a fixed bracket, aslotted rock-shaft carried thereby, a rocker-arm having its intermediate portion adapted to said \slot, means for longitudinally adjusting the rocker-arm and for locking the same in its adjusted position to the rock-shaft, and mechanism connecting the opposite ends of the rocker-arm to the piston-rod and to the Valve, substantially as specified.

7. The combination ofthe cylinder, its piston and piston-rod, a valve, a fixed bracket, a rock-shaft carried by said bracket, a rockerarm adapted toa diametrical slotin said rockshaft, 2. set-screw carried by the rock-shaft for locking said rocker-arm in position, an adjusting-bolt for effecting the longitudinal movement of said rocker-arm, and mechanism connecting the ends of the rocker-arm to the piston-rod and to the valve, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of a cylinder, its piston and piston-rod, a steam-chest, a valve contained therein, a threaded stem connected to said valve, a sleeve mounted on said threaded stem, adjusting-nuts having journaled ends adapted to recesses in the ends of the sleeve, and a rocker-arm connecting the piston-rod to said sleeve, substantially as specified.

9. A cylinder having port-openings, said port-openings being adapted to be closed by the passage of the piston and having their longitudinal side walls inclining toward each other as they approach the ends of the cylinder.

10. A cylinder having ports, said ports being ofsubstantially uniform area in crosssection throughout their length and terminating at the cylinder-Wall, in openings having their longitudinal Walls narrowed and tapering toward the end of the cylinder, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

' DANIEL F. LEPLEY.

Witnesses:

W. H. BROWN, GEO. FURHOW. 

